The study aims to identify and characterize the key stages in the activities of the Iranian opposition in Iraq in the period preceding the Islamic Revolution of 1978-1979 (1960s – 1970s). The article examines the formation of a center for Iranian opposition forces fighting against the regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1941-1979) on the territory of Iraq. Special attention is paid to the analysis of factors that influenced the further development of the Islamic movement of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1902-1989), in particular the state of Iranian-Iraqi relations during this period. The process of adaptation of opposition forces to the changing foreign policy situation in the Middle East region is described. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the fact that it identifies the mechanisms of organizational and ideological development of the Iranian opposition movement, in particular its Islamic wing, during the 1960s and 1970s, and demonstrates the influence that the state of Iranian-Iraqi relations had on the activities of Iranian revolutionaries in the period under review. In addition to identifying the main stages of the Iranian opposition’s activities in Iraq, an important result of the research was the identification of a number of factors that ensured the success of the opposition forces and the victory of the Islamic Revolution, including the existence of a favorable foreign policy environment in the Middle East for Iranian revolutionaries, the skillful use of the domestic and foreign policy situation in Iraq during the period under review, and the ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions in the country and the region.
I. Vishnyakova (Wed,) studied this question.